Brazil coach says it's important for side to salvage some pride from World Cup
2014 and secure third spot after humiliation

Luiz-Felipe Scolari has rejected suggestions that the Brazil national team needs a drastic overhaul after the worst international result in their history and has instead told the players that is now vital for them to salvage some pride and finish third in the World Cup.

Brazil last night returned to their mountain training camp outside Rio de Janeiro in shame following the extraordinary 7-1 drubbing against Germany, with Scolari adamant that questions about his future as Brazil manager should wait until after the weekend.

“We will continue working and honouring what our team means for the third place match in Brasilia,” he said. “Don't forget there's a match on Saturday. We can be third. Now we must work on the mind-set. We have to improve our motivation. We have to do our jobs.

“Most of these players will continue to play in their high level teams and will be capped again. Life goes on. It doesn't end with this defeat. We will be working inside the changing room for our next match.”

Many pundits and ex-players, including Juninho, are now calling for fundamental change in Brazilian football but Scolari believes that there is already the core of a good squad for the next World Cup in 2018. Asked if Brazilian football now needed to reinvent itself, Scolari said: “Why? Because we lost one match? Thirteen or 14 of those players out there will be at the 2018 World Cup. They're working, developing still. I think you'll see at least that many there in 2018. They reached the sixth match of the World Cup and showed their skills.

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“We did what we thought was our best, and we lost to a great team. I'd like to thank the supporters for supporting the players despite us losing by five, six, seven. It was interesting to see that happen.” It was Brazil’s first competitive loss on home soil for almost 40 years.

Scolari also admitted that he would now be remembered as the manager who led Brazil to a 7-1 World Cup defeat, as well as his achievement in winning the tournament in 2002. “We had one defeat,” said Scolari.

“This was a third defeat in 28 matches. Yes, it was a terrible defeat in terms of the result. It just didn't work out for 10 minutes in the match. For 10 crazy minutes. And the Germany team were fantastic. It won't happen like that ever again, for them or for us.

“We have to sit down with our team, look at it again, analyse again everything that happened and work with them, because many of them will be in the team in the next few years ahead of the next World Cup. This was not a typical match. We have to show we can take this defeat. Ithappened. Their lives will go on. My life will go on.”